Boiler-absorber



p 1945. N. ERLAND AF KLEEN 2,384,460

BOILER-ABSORBER I Filed Oct. 21, 1941 76m ATTORA/fy 2,884,469 BOEER-ABSORBER Nils Erland at Kleen, Stockholm, Sweden, asslgnor to Kleen liteirigerator, Ina, Hoboken, N. 3., a

corporation oi nelaware application October 21, 1941, Serial No. 415,852

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in boiler-absorbers for use in connection with absorption refrigerating systems operating with solid absorbents having the characteristic of increasing in volume when absorbing the refrigerant.

The invention consists in a particular construction and arrangement of parts, whereby the absorbent material is made to occupy a predetermined space or volume in a boiler-absorber during the assembly of the unit and is confined within the aforementioned predetermined space or volume during the saturation of the absorbent material prior to installation of the boiler-absorber in the refrigerating system, or during the generation and absorption of the refrigerant in the operation oi the refrigerating system.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a boiler-absorber in which the absorbent material is maintained in a package of predetermined size or volume which remains unchanged during the saturation of the absorbent material prior to installation of the boiler-absorber in the refrigerating system, and/or during the generation and absorption of the refrigerant in the operation of the refrigerating system.

Another object of the invention is to maintain the absorbent material in a package and to provide means inside the boiler-absorber for taking up axial pressure stresses arising from swelling of the absorbent material in the package upon absorbing the refrigerant, thereby protecting the boiler-absorber end walls.

The above and other objects together with the advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. The single figure of the drawing is a longitudinal section through the center of a boiler-absorber embodying the invention.

The boiler-absorber illustrated comprises a cyllndrical shell or casing M terminating at its opposite longitudinal extremities in rounded ends H and I2, said shell being formed by two opposltely disposed dished sections A and B Joined together by a transverse line of weld l3. Each of the rounded ends H and I2 is provided with a central opening to receive the opposite ends of a central heating tube ll which extends longitudinally through the boiler-absorber. The tube ll is fitted with the usual axially spaced heat conducting members I! shown diagrammatically as plates or discs extending radially to the wall of the cylindrical shell ID to effect the necessary transmission of heat throughout the solid absorbent material contained in the, series of annular pockets I! formed by adjacent plates 15. The central tube M is rigidly secured in place iii by welding to the rounded ends H and 12 as at I! and I8, respectively.

As clearly shown in the drawing, the opposite longitudinal extremities of the series of annular pockets iii are spaced inwardly from the adjacent rounded ends II and I2 of the boiler-absorber to accommodate a pair of annular channel members I9 and 20 slidably embracing the central tube It and oppositely disposed with respect to one another. Each channel member is formed with a relatively long inner flange and a relatively short outer flange to correspond to the curvature of the respective rounded end of the shell ill. The inner and outer flanges 2i and 22, respectively, of channel member I9 are directed toward the rounded end ll of the shell l0 and terminate in abutting engagement therewith, while the inner and outer flanges 23 and 2d, respectively, of the channel member 20, are directed toward the rounded end l2 of the shell and terminate in abutting engagement therewith.

In this manner, the size or volume of th absorbent-containing chamber of the boiler-albsorber will be definitely limited by the channel members l9 and 20 independently of the swelling characteristics of the absorbent and the extent of swelling of the absorbent upon absorbing the refrigerant. Moreover, the axial pressure stresses developed by the series of pockets l6 due to the swelling characteristics of the absorbent material upon absorbing the refrigerant will-be taken up by the channel members l9 and 20 without the necessity of having to weld or otherwise having to rigidly secure said members either to the central tube M or to the inner periphery of the shell 10, or to both of said parts.

The passage of refrigerant vapor into and out of the pockets of absorbent material It is permitted by means of the usual perforated tube 25 extending axially through the package and welded at its opposite ends to the channel members l8 and 20. The tube 25 is filled with steel wool or like material to prevent the absorbent material from entering the same through the perforations therein.

In the form shown, the boiler-absorber is adapted to be installed in place in the refrigerating system in upright position and the refrigerant vapor passes into and out of the boiler-absorber by way of pipe 26 extending upwardly through a suitable opening in the rounded end ll of shell l0 and leading to the condenser of the refrigerating system (not shown). The lower end of the pipe 26 overlies the flaring mouth of a down pipe 21 which extends axially through the package of absorbent pockets l8 and terminates in communication with an annular chamber 28 formed .by channel member 20, the inner and outer flanges 23 and 24 thereof and the rounded end [2 of the shell 10, so that any refrigerant condensate formed in the pipe 26 and flowing back to the boiler-absorber is collected in the chamber 28 and prevented from coming in contact with the absorbent material in the pockets, as more fully describedvin my co-pending application Serial No. 154,090, filed July 16, 1937, now Patent No. 2,274,680.

In charging the boiler-absorber, each pocket I6 formed between adjacent heat conducting members I5 is preferably filled during assembly of the boiler-absorber with a predetermined quantity of solid absorbent material in pulverized water free condition and prior to' having absorbed the refrigerant as more fully disclosed in my Patent No. 2,326,130 issued August 10, 1943. Thereafter, the two halves A and B oithe outer shell in are welded together as at l3 and the shell in turn welded to the center tube as at I! and H3. The absorbent in each pocket I6 is then saturated with the refrigerant introduced through a suitable opening such for example as that provided for the vapor conduit 26. Due to the swelling characteristics of the absorbent upon absorbing the refrigerant and the limited space provided for the series of pockets between the channel members I9 and 20 in the boiler-absorber shell I 0, the series of pockets IE will be held in a package of predetermined size or volume which remains flxed not only during the saturation stage but also during the subsequent generation and absorption periods in the operation of the refrigerating system.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of my invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being home in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of ithe invention as set out in the following o a ms.

What I claim is:

1. In a boiler-absorber for use in connection with refrigeration apparatus of the intermittent absorption type operating with solid absorbent material having the characteristic of increasing in volume upon absorbing the refrigerant, the combination of a substantially cylindrical casing terminating at its opposite longitudinal extremities in convex end walls, a central heating tube extending axially through said casing, a pair of axially spaced and oppositely disposed annular plate members embracing said heating tube and having inner and outer peripheral flanges, the inner flanges of said plate members being longer than the outer flanges thereof, the flanges of one member terminating in abutting engagement with one of the convex end walls and the flanges of the other member terminating in abutting engagement with the other convex end wall, the space between the inner faces of said members forming an annular absorbent chamber in said casing, and a charge of such absorbent material in said chamber, said plate members taking up the axial pressure stresses developed in said charge of absorbent material and the abutting engagement between the inner and outer flanges of each of said plate members and the respective end walls of said casing limiting the volume of said charge independent of the extent of swelling of the absorbent material.

in volume upon combining with the refrigerant; the combination of a substantially cylindrical casing terminating at its opposite longitudinal extremities in curved end walls, a central tube extending axially through said casing, a pair of axially spaced and oppositely disposed annular plate members embracing said tube and having inner and outer peripheral flanges with the flanges of one member terminating in abutting engagement with one of said curved end walls and the flanges of the other member terminating in abutting engagement with the other one of said curved end walls and with one of the flanges of each of said plate members being longer than the other to conform to the curvature of the respective end Wall, the space between the inner faces of said plate members forming an annular absorbent chamber, and a charge of such absorbent material in said chamber, said plate members taking up the axial pressure stresses developed in said charge of absorbent material and the abutting engagement between the inner and outer flanges of each of said plate members and the respective end walls of said casing limiting the volume of said charge independent of the extent of swelling of the absorbent material.

3. In a boiler-absorber for use in connection with refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent absorption type operating with solid absorbent material having the characteristic of increasing in volume upon combining with the refrigerant; the combination of a substantially cylindrical casing terminating at its opposite longitudinal extremities in curved end walls, a central tube extending axially through said casing, a pair of axially spaced and oppositely disposed plate members embracing said central tube and having inner and outer peripheral flanges, the flanges of one of said members terminating in abutting engagement with one of said curved end walls to provide an annular chamber adjacent one end of said casing and the flanges of the other one of said members terminating in abutting engagement with the other one of said curved end walls to provide an annular chamber adjacent the opposite end of said casing, one of the flanges of each of said plate members being longer than the other to conform to the curvature of the respective end wall, the space between the inner faces of said plate members forming an absorbent chamber, heat conducting means dividing said absorbent chamber into a series of pockets, a charge of suchabsorbent material contained in said series of pockets, said plate members taking up the axial pressure stresses developed in said series of pockets by the absorbent material and the abutting engagement between the peripheral flanges of each of said plate members and the respective end walls of said casing limiting the volume of the said series of pockets independent of the extent of swelling of the absorbent material, means forming a fluid connection to one of said annular chambers for refrigerant fluid, means including an imperforate conduit in axial alignment with said fluid connection and establishing communication between one and the other of said annular chambers, and means including a perforated conduit establishing communication between at least one of said annular chambers and each of the pockets of said absorbent chamber.

NILS ERLAND u- KLEEN. 

